Why is there the interest in Contract Medicine? There is a host of reasons, some are good reasons, and some are questionable. In the research I do, I am reading more articles about Concierge medicine. This seems to be the title used by most writers and then they mention other types of contract medicine as if they don't matter or are often the same fee structure without getting into the different fee structures.
This is not the anticipated growth that I had envisioned as I had expected California to be much higher, but New York, Florida, and Texas are projected to grow faster.
Why are people so willing to move to doctors in this type of practice? I had one person tell me that he will not wait months to see a doctor that has little time for him. He is now waiting six months just to obtain a physical that is required by his job. He indicated that unless he could get the physical in three months, he could be out of work. Therefore, he contacted seven different doctors and the quickest he could see any doctor was six months. This was even after he explained his need. He then contacted a doctor in “direct pay” and could get in for his physical in a week. He will be required to miss three days of work to drive to where the doctor is located, but he feels that his job is worth this and now his employer is contacting this doctor to get everyone's physicals completed.
It is a little disconcerting that there are only about 4000 doctors that are considered concierge doctors. I have not been able to determine if they are only concierge or whether this is a cover term that the article uses to cover the different classes of contract medicine.
Let me review the terms – boutique, concierge, retainer, and direct care (or direct primary care - DPC). All of these, by practice, are contract medicine or care. The contract is the result of a fee the patient pays at the first of each billing cycle to have access to that doctor for the coming period and if you wish to keep the doctor under contract and available to you. This does not mean that you, as the patient, will physically see the doctor that cycle, but the fee still must be paid. The fee is for only you and does not include other family members. Family members may be part of a family fee structure or handled on an individual patient basis.
There are several terms for the fee paid and include, contract fee, retainer fee, subscription fee, access fee, medical care fee, and the list goes on. Much of this naming depends on how the doctor wishes to describe it, and I will not attempt to list all possible terms. Most practices request the fee to be paid monthly, but some do collect on a yearly, semiannual, or quarterly basis.
For those who can afford this type of care, having that extra time with the doctor and knowing your care will be coordinated can be a huge plus for your peace of mind - and your outcomes. The biggest plus will depend on whether you are receiving preventive care. This in and of itself can save money and often keep you from needing to have care in a hospital. Under the current medical system, doctors are not paid for the time they spend with a patient, nor are they paid to coordinate the care of that patient.
No comments:
Post a Comment